First Zexal story
by mysticdragon2016
Summary: Astral wasn't feeling well, that much was clear to Yuma, the question became, what could he do to help possible YumaxAstral not sure yet. Sorry about the title
1. Chapter 1

A/N This is my first Yu-gi-oh Zexal story and I am writing this without a computer, which means it will likely contain errors and although I do my best to catch them, I don't usually get them all. I apologize.

Yuma woke to the sound of thunder and heavy rain pounding against the house he shared with his sister and grandmother. He turned away from the window and closed his eyes, hoping to drift back into the dream he had been having. He realized it wasn't to be. He sighed heavily, sat up and glancing around the room.

"Astral?' He called out, only to be met with silence. Yuma couldn't help feeling concerned, upon waking, he would usually find his friend watching television beside the hammock. Tonight, the device had not been touched.

Yuma grasped the key around his neck.

" Hey, are you okay in there, can you come out?" He called but Astral didn't appear before him.

"Astral, what's-" The blue figure materialized on the floor beside him. Astral lay on his side, his back turned to Yuma.

"Yes, Yuma?" Yuma picked up on the change in his friend's tone immediately.

"Are you okay, you're-"

"I am all right." Astral replied.

"It took you a long time to get here, are sure?" Yuma left his hammock and walked toward the being slowly.

"I am sure. I was trying to rest." It was clear to Yuma that Astral was in pain.

"what's wrong?" He knelt down beside Astral.

"It is nothing to concern yourself with."

"I can't make you tell me, but I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."Yuma shifted off of his knees.

Astral moaned painfully but remained still. Yuma was at a loss, he hated to see his friends suffer.

" If you decide you wanna tell me, I'd like to be able to help you feel better. " he said, standing up.

"There is not to be done, it will pass on its own eventually. I simply have to wait."

"It sounds really painful." Yuma commented.

"It can be, yes."

"This happened to you before?"

"Yes,Yuma. I experience this once in a great while. I feel this discomfort nearly constantly over the course of several days during this time. The severity depends on each day. Sometimes the pain worsens through the day. As I said, I Will be all right." Yuma sat back down.

"What hurts?"

"You should try to sleep now, there is school tomorrow. There will be much to be done.I would advise you to avoid situations in which you would need me if you can. I will be resting."

"Astral, I don't know how you deal with this in your world, but here, we look after our friends when they're sick. You don't have to go through it by yourself, you know.

" There is nothing you can do for me except allow me to rest when I need it. That will help me greatly. "

"I'll do anything you need me to." Yuma vowed feeling bad for Astral.

"Thank you, I am going to go back inside, unless you need something."

"You don't have to go, if you want you can lie down out here and we'll watch some TV." Yuma offered, he wouldn't admit his concern directly, Astral seemed to pick up on the feeling.

"Are you sure, where will you-"

"I'll be fine down here. Someone has to change the channels anyway." Yuma said casually. After a moment of hesitation, Astral pushed himself into a sitting position, his arms wrapped around his belly.

Yuma rose to his feet, helping Astral up. The blue figure swayed slightly prompting Yuma to reach out to him.

"I've got you. If you need to lean on me, it's okay." Soon, Astral was lying in the hammock.

"Just relax. What should we watch?"

"Anything would be a good distraction at the moment." Astral gently rubbed his abdomen. Yuma took note but said nothing. The only thing he could do was be there for Astral and provide comfort.

 _I'll take care of you, I'll find a way to help you, Astral. I promise._ Yuma thought to himself. He made up his mind to try to convince his sister and grandmother to stay home from school the following day to allow his friend some quiet time. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he had to try, and he would give it his best.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N I haven't decided if this should be a friendship or key shipping fic, so I thought I'd ask what you might want to see.

Yuma watched Astral who was lying motionless with his eyes closed,seemingly asleep. His hands still resting on his abdomen. Yuma yawned, he had stayed awake the previous night, even after the storm had passed. He laid quietly on the floor beside the hammock. Occasionally, Yuma would hear a faint moan from his friend.

 _it's almost time to get ready for school. That means I have to come up with a way to convince Kari and Grandma I have to stay home._ He thought to himself.

"Y-Yuma?" Astral called weakly, prompting Yuma to turn to him.

"Hey Astral, how are you feeling?"

"Not well.I am feeling.. I cannot think of the right word." Astral answer. He gasped suddenly turning away from the boy, curling up on his side.

"Astral!' Yuma cried in alarm.

" i-i am fine. I apologize for-"

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Yuma said.

"I should not have-"

"You're sick Astral, it's okay." Astral began to push himself up.

"Don't. Just lie still." Yuma encouraged.

"I will have to get up-" Astral allowed Yuma to carefully lean him back against the pillow.

"We're not going to school today. I feel like staying home." Yuma said casually. "It's a good day to take a break."

"So humans can take these breaks as you call it, from school anytime they want?"

"Once in a while. I'm going downstairs for a few minutes, are you okay for me to leave?"

"Yes. There is no need for you to be concerned about. It will pass." Astral assured him.

"I won't be gone long, just stay here." Astral closed his eyes, resting quietly.

One outside of his room, Yuma had to think quickly. How could he possibly pull this off. If his grandmother didn't see through it, surely Kari would.

 _Astral needs this, I just hope I don't let him down._ Yuma took a deep breath, he made his way to the bathroom quietly.

Yuma locked the door and turned on the sink, making the water as hot as he could tolerate, he then took a wash cloth, using the heat to raise his temperature. After only a few moments, he heard his grandmother calling to him.

Yuma made his way downstairs, careful to walk a little slower than usual, his hand resting on his belly.

"Yuma, are you feeling all right?" She asked upon seeing him enter the kitchen. Her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine Grandma." He said weakly, lowering himself into a chair.

Haru placed a hand to Yuma's forehead.

"It feels like you have a fever." She commented. "Yuma, I'm going to get the thermometer, you sit right here."

"But Grandma, I have to get ready for school. I'll be late." He protested, only to have Haru ignore his words and hurry to retrieve the object. Yuma felt terrible about the lie.

Haru returned quickly, placing the thermometer under Yuma's tongue. Yuma let out a soft moan which he hoped sounded convincing.

"Be still now." She ordered. Yuma could feel his face cooling down now.

 _this isn't going to work, this is it._ When Haru removed the device, she shook her head.

"You have a slight fever." She announced.

"It's not a big deal, I-"

"You're holding your stomach, does it hurt, are you feeling sick?"

" a little of both."

"Well, it must be the flu that's been going around. I want you to go back to your room and get under your blanket. Try to get some rest. I'll make some homemade soup." She said kissing his cheek. Yuma smiled weakly.

"Thanks Grandma, you're the best." Yuma stood up, hugging his stomach. He paused briefly.

"Can you make it upstairs, I don't want you getting dizzy and hurting yourself."

"'I'll get there." Yuma assured her. "Where's Kari?"

"She won't be back until much later, she had some work to do, go on now. You need your rest." Yuma returned to his room to find Astral awake, staring at the ceiling blankly. Yuma cautiously moved close.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"No." The figure replied. "I am unwell. I do not recall this feeling, I remember the pain, however-" he stopped turning his head to look outside.

"What is it?" Astral didn't seem to hear

"Astral!" He cried with concern.

"Y-Yuma?"

"I'm right here, I need you to tell me about how you feel."

"I can feel it, my strength is draining from my body, I do not recall this happening with the discomfort."

"Could you just be really tired, sometimes it can feel that way when you really need sleep."

"During this time, I must rest in order to recover. I suppose that can be possible." Yuma straightened the cover around Astral's thin frame.

"Try it, maybe it'll help you."Astral needed no further encouragement. He closed his eyes once more an became silent. Yuma sighed.

" just remember to wake up again, okay?" He whispered before sitting on the floor to keep watch over his friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Yuma sighed heavily, taking another spoonful of the soup his grandmother had brought him. He remained quiet, Astral had been asleep since earlier that morning, causing Yuma to feel more concerned. He fought the urge to wake his friend.

 _Come on Astral, you've been sleeping all morning, I really need you to get up._ Yuma thought, becoming increasingly more concerned about his as Yuma decided to act on his thoughts, Astral began to stir and within minutes he opened his eyes.

Yuma put the bowl of soup on the floor and stood up.

"Hey, are you feeling better?"

"For the moment, yes. I am not sure it will continue." Yuma could still hear the weakness in his voice. He noticed that Astral was once again softly rubbing his belly.

"You rub your stomach a lot, and you keep your hands on it, it's just a thought, but maybe something warm would help. Sometimes when my stomach really hurts I use a heating pad while I'm lying down. I could get one for you. Do you want to try?"

"I will try almost anything. There is no need to go immediately."Astral said.

" I'll be going back downstairs in a little while, I'll get it then." Yuma lowered himself back onto the floor, he picked up his bowl once again.

"Do you think you'll be okay long enough for me to finish lunch?"

"Yes. The pain has lessened now. I cannot say for certain how long it will take for it to return."

"Did sleeping help at all?"

"It provided temporary relief from the pain." Yuma sighed.

"Do you still feel drained?" Astral didn't reply, Yuma however knew the answer. He stood up once more, looking down into his bowl. He had eaten less than half of his lunch.

"I'm going to take my bowl down to the sink, I'll bring the heating pad up with me. I'll turn the TV on for you, but I'll keep the volume on low in case you want to try to sleep." Yuma bent down and pressed the button on the device, turning it toward Astral.

"It should still be on your favorite channel." Yuma crossed the the room but turned back at the sound of his name being called weakly.

"Yeah,Astral?"

"Thank you."

"No problem. " he replied making his way to his own bed, Haru was sure to check in at any second. He set the bowl down beside the bed and climbed under the cover just as his grandmother knocked on his door.

He quickly closed his eyes.

"Yuma?" Haru called softly, stepping into the room. Yuma did his best not to react. It wasn't until he felt her hand on his forehead that he allowed himself to look up at her.

"Hey, Grandma." He greeted with a feeble tone.

"I didn't mean to wake you, I just wanted to check in and see how you're feeling."

"I'm okay, it's just-" Yuma paused, hoping what he was about to do wouldn't cause Haru too much concern.

"What is it Yuma?"

"Could I borrow the heating pad?"

"Of course, you just rest and I'll bring it to you. Did you eat any of the soup I brought you?"

"I tried." He said leaning over the side of the bed and giving the bowl to her. She frowned.

"You really must be sick, there's still some left."

"I don't feel too bad,Grandma, I'm just not very hungry right now."

"I'll put it away for later. I'll be right back." Yuma watched her exit the room.

He hoped he would be able to get back to his friend before the pain got to be too much for Astral.

 _Hang on Astral, I'll be there soon._ Yuma thought silently.

Astral sighed heavily, hoping Yuma returned soon. He'd lost interest in the television almost immediately after the boy left, finding no comfort in the distraction.

He found that as the minutes passed, it became harder to relax.

He hoped he would sleep again if only to escape his illness for a short time.

Yuma ran up the steps leading to the attic, Astral was counting on him. He stopped to catch his breath before continuing inside.

"I'm back Astral, I got it." Yuma announced triumphantly. He moved closer to the ailing figure, plugging the heating pad in and setting the device on low heat.

"It's going to take a minute to heat up. It's just going to lay on your stomach, you don't have to do anything." He explained.

"Please be careful Yuma, my stomach is sensitive to pain." Astral said weakly.

"It won't hurt, I promise." Yuma slowly laid the heating pad on Astral's belly.

"I trust you, Yuma." The pain was audible in his voice.

"Are you sure you're okay it looks like this is really hard for you." Yuma rested his hand lightly on the heat source. "Is it helping?"

"No." Astral shifted uncomfortably in the hammock.

"Easy Astral. We'll try medium heat. Sometimes the first setting isn't enough. Lie still." Yuma turned up the setting with his free hand. Within minutes, Astral visibly relaxed into the pillow.

"Is that better?"

"Yes, thank you, Yuma."Yuma too felt relieved when the blue figure began to feel better.

"Yuma?"

"Yeah?"

"I appreciate what you are doing, I do not want you to think you must spend your day tending to me. "

"It's not a big deal,and I haven't been doing it all day." Yuma said dismissively. Astral looked at him skeptically.

"I do not want to be a burden to you, Yuma. I can return to-"

"I told you, friends take care of each other. You're my friend Astral and I won't let you go through this alone. It doesn't look like you have much strength right now, you should save what you have."

"I will be all right. I am sure there are other-"

"Just get some rest. Pushing yourself won't help you feel better, you should just stay here. When you're stronger you can go back in if you want to."

"Are you certain about this, it is not necessary for you to-"

"Don't worry about it. Just get better." Yuma's concern was beginning to show. He quickly turned from Astral.

"I have been through this pain, it is not dangerous. It is simply uncomfortable."

"It doesn't matter. Everyone needs a little down time, sometimes. That's why we stayed home today, I needed a break too."

"You have not gotten much of one, it seems I have been-"

"Don't worry about it." Yuma wondered if Astral had been able to see through his lie. After several minutes of silence, the boy again sat down on the floor with a heavy sigh, a quiet grumble from his stomach pulled him from his thought and left him wishing he had finished his soup.


	4. Chapter 4

"That guy there wants to take all the money for himself while those two in the masks take the blame for it." Yuma explained, pointing to the TV. Astral had no interest in the movie but acknowledged Yuma's effort to keep his mind on something other then his current condition.

"They have another guy waiting across the city and he's- Astral?" Yuma turned to him.

"I am listening Yuma. I am sorry, please continue."

"Are you sure you're okay, you're really quiet today."

"Is it unusual for someone that is unwell to lie quietly?" The blue figure asked.

"No, I just want to be sure you're doing okay." The boy admitted.

"All things considered, yes, I am."Yuma sighed.

"I wish I knew what to do for you. If you were a human,I could take you to the doctor and get you medicine. Do you want the heating pad?" Astral gave a short nod.

Yuma turned the device on the second setting and laid it on his friend's belly.

Astral closed his eyes.

 _observation 34 I have come to understand that humans go to doctors for healing. They ent_ _rust their lives to these doctors when their health is compromised. They offer care and comfort to them. If I understand correctly, Yuma would be a good doctor, I trust him with my life._

Yuma turned off the TV, sitting on the floor beside the hammock.

"I am not dying, Yuma." Astral said,earning a confused look from his friend.

"I feel as if I should remind you because I sense your concern and I would like you to understand that my condition does not require constant attention. I am grateful to you for your-"

"I'm not that concerned, and I like hanging out up here, even before you." Yuma said,crossing his arms. Astral said nothing, choosing instead to ignore the reply. Yuma however seemed to find some comfort in Astral's words.

 _What am I gonna do if you're not better soon,Astral?"_ Yuma thought. Astral forced himself up suddenly, the movement startled Yuma.

"Astral, lie down, you need to rest." The blue figure pressed his hands to his belly, squeezing his eyes closed and rising into the air.

"I-I cannot rest. I have never felt this much pain. It does not matter what I do-" Yuma stood up,putting an arm around Astral, feeling his body trembling from the intense pain. Yuma's heart was breaking for his friend.

"It's going to be okay, Astral. Trust me." He gently guided Astral down to floor, where he settled himself, leaning Astral back to lie in his arms and reaching out with his free hand, pulling the heating pad, turning it to the next setting. He laid it gently on his friend's stomach.

"I've got you, take it easy,moving around like that isn't going to make it feel better." Yuma took hold of Astral's hand with his free one.

"Y-Yuma-"

"Rest,it's going to be okay. You can squeeze my hand if it helps."

"I will not ask you for-"

"You're not asking. I'm going to sit here,just like this until you're ready. You just focus on feeling better." Yuma rested his head against Astral's softly as the blue figure moaned softly, taking Yuma's advice and tightening his grip on his hand

"Thank you,Y-Yuma..You are a good friend."

"You are too,but you have to get better soon so we can get back to high fiving the sky together."

"I will do my best, I am-" Astral gasped sharply.

"You okay?"

"I believe I will be." Astral replied, they would remain there for several hours. When Astral had fallen asleep, Yuma remained still.

"Get some rest,I'll be right here when you wake up. I'm not going to let you down."


End file.
